136 HEXANDRIA. 



the emblem of whiteness. This is a splendid genus, all 

 the species of which are considered handsome flowers, and 

 some of them rank among the greatest beauties of the gar- 

 den. In scientific gardening, the Lilies are used as border 

 ornaments, those of different colors being intermixed, or 

 placed in fancy figures. The Lilies are natives of North 

 America, of China, Siberia and Germany. There are about 

 twenty cultivated species, of which at least seven are natives 

 of North America. The Lilies vary from one to six, or seven 

 feet in height. 



GENUS Tulipa. The Tulip appears to have been brought 

 from Persia to Europe, by way of Constantinople, in 1559. 

 In about a century after this time, all Europe became ac- 

 quainted with this flower, in consequence of the high prices 

 set upon certain species, and the rise of what has been call- 

 ed the Tulipo-mania of Holland and the Netherlands. At 

 that time, Tulip bulbs, the flowers of which were variegated, 

 or as it is called, broken, in a certain manner, sold for im- 

 mense prices, so that some speculators gave their farms, 

 houses, and cattle, for one of these roots, thus leaving noth- 

 ing between the absolute beggary of themselves and fami- 

 lies, but a single Tulip bulb. Others bought and sold bulbs 

 for $2000, and upwards, and in one instance for $10,000, 

 in those days, immense sums. These were sometimes flo- 

 rists, who bought roots at such prices, with the intention to 

 propagate and sell the rare varieties at corresponding rates. 

 But as the speculation was founded on an article, in its na- 

 ture entirely worthless, it became a species of gambling, 

 which the government interposed to suppress, by fixing the 

 price over which no Tulip should be sold. This, however, 

 was not done until immense fortunes were made, and thou- 

 sands reduced to poverty by this singular speculation. (For 

 an account of this mania, see Beckman's Hist. Inventions, 

 and Carr's Tour through Holland.) 



The mode of producing variegated Tulips, consists in 

 planting the seed, first in a rich soil, and afterwards trans- 

 planting the bulb into one that is poor and sandy. Here, 

 in the course of two or three years, the flowers generally 

 become broken, or variegated of different colors. There is 

 no method, as is generally supposed, of giving a certain 



What are the native countries of the Lily ? What is the native coun- 

 try of the Tulip ? What is said of the Tulipo-mania ? How are varie- 

 gated Tulips produced ? 



